“The mayor’s job is so busy you try to be as efficient as you can with your time,” said Niagara Falls mayor Jim Diodati, talking over a speaker phone while driving to Grimsby for an NHS meeting. “But you have to do it in a safe way.”

Diodati, like other Niagara mayors contacted Tuesday, said he’ll read before or after a drive, but never during.

Unless he has a driver, which is a luxury only big city mayors seem to enjoy. Which is just what Toronto Police want for Ford after the photo of him reading paper documents while driving on the Gardiner Expressway was posted to Twitter.

“On behalf of all the citizens of Toronto that value road safety, Mr. Mayor … please get a driver,” wrote Sgt. Tim Burrows on the police force’s official Facebook page.

Ford shrugged off questions about the pic, saying it ”probably” was him and that he’s “busy.” He had a news conference later that morning.

“For Mayor Ford’s safety as well as that of the public, it’s something he should refrain from doing,” said St. Catharines mayor Brian McMullan, who has never used a driver for city business and doesn’t plan on it. But it would be a “safer option” for Rob Ford.

“I appreciate the time constraints that all mayors are under, particularly the mayor of Canada’s largest city,” he said. “But there’s other ways to deal with those time constraints.”

Port Colborne mayor Vance Badawey, with a daughter recently obtaining her license, is increasingly concerned about distracted drivers in Niagara.

“Everything can wait with respect to when you’re driving,” he said. “It’s something we’re very concerned with even at the Police Services Board. This is the next hazard (with driving), especially with the upcoming generation.”

“We’re all busy … but unless you have someone driving you, you don’t read (documents) in the car,” said Fort Erie mayor Doug Martin. “I don’t even know how you’d do that! Do you balance it on the steering wheel?”